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Letters Patent No. 85,996, dated January 19, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN GYMNASTIC APPARATUS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making' part of thesaigne.

Be it known-that I, D. P. BUTLER, of Boston, in the countyof Suffolk,and State of Massachusetts, have invent-ed certain Improvements in theDetails of Hygienic or Gymnastie Apparatus for lifting heavy weights gand I do hereby declare that theI following', taken in connection withthe drawings v-,hich accompany and form part of this specification, is adescription oi' my invention sufcient to enable those skilled in the artto practise it.

' This invention relates to improvements made by me in that class ofhygienic or gymnastie apparatus for lifting heavy weights, for whichLetters Patent of the United States were issued 'to me, June 6, 1865,and J une 19, 1866, numbered, respectively, 48,050 and 55,- 618; and

It consistsin various provisions, claimed beyond, for adapting theapparatus to the physicatconformation of' different persons.

Myimproved apparatus is shown in general elevation in Figure 1, variousvertical sections, however, being shown in said View, to illustrate thedetails of construction' and arrangement.

The base of the apparatus is complex, it being made up of aA platform,a, and two frames, b and c, which frames are kept apart by springs d,which are rendered noiseless, and have their elasticity increased byvbeing cushioned on rubber pieces e.

The whole apparatus is adj usted so that the standing platform is madelevel by screws f, which work in nuts made 'fast to the frame b, saidscrews passing loosely through frame c, above which they can be easilyreached and operated, and their ends bearing against metal piecessecured to the platform a, which serves to protect the floor or carpetonv which the apparatus stands.

The legs g stand on balls h, which are cushioned above and below onrubber in the legs and in the frame c, or the balls-themselves may be ofrubber. I prefer to cup the legs and the frame, to confine the balls toa slight range of motion.

The legs sustain the frame t', nut-threads being formed in the frame tofit the screw-threads out on the upper part o f the legs.

. Where the screws'of the legs project above frame il, sleeves areprovided to cover them.

Between the lower surface of frame i and the shoulders where the screwand body-part of the legs meet, short sections 7c of cylinders in piecesmay be used, by the presence or absence of vwhich the length of the legsmay be determined.

The frame l is supported on springs m, which are cushioned on rubber,like springs el, and for the same reasons.

Said frame is partially covered with two platforms n, on which, onrubber cushions placed thereon, a person may stand, to lift the weightwhich is supported on the spring o, by ame t, between the platforms fn.

The rod p, from which the weight q hangs suspended, is formed at itsupper end into a stirrup, r, which surrounds the spring, while the lowerend of rod p is provided with a long sleeve-nut, s, in which fits thescrew t.

can be brought nearer the point of suspension, or the screw t can beturned in its nut s, so as to change the position of the weight, whilechanging the length of the suspensory p s t. V

The nut vu is to be used when it is-desirable to raise the weight, stillkeeping' the suspensory where, with but littleladjustment ofits length,it can, by turning, rest upon the rubber-supported step fu, to as torelieve the spring o from stress during the time when thee-pparatus isvnot in use, so that the weights can be leiu on the suspeusory withoutinjury to the spring The stirrup r has a conical pivot, w, which Ventersa step, x, supported on a rubber cushion on spring o, the pivot beinglong enough to remain with its point within the stcp when the personlifting the weight shall have elevated it clear of the support of springo, this rendering it certain that when the weight is lowered, it shallrest properly Von spring o.

The use ofthe stirrup does away'wlth the need of piercing the spring forthe suspensory, at the same timel keeping the line of draught directbetween the person and the weight.

The upper part of the pivot wis formed as a screw, sothat the partsthrough which a person exerts power to lift the weight may' be attached.

The piece to which the handle is applied, by' which a person lifts theweight, is formed at its upper end as astirrup, c', and at its lower endas a screw, b', which works in a sleeve-uut," c', which nut can becoupled at its lower end with the pivot w, as shown in the drawing.

By turning the screw b in its nut, the height of the lifting-handleabove the standingplatform n can be regulated to suit any person.

The sleeve d is fixed to the stirrup al, and serves to protect theclothing of the person using the apparatus from being soiled upon thescrew.

The outside of the nut c' being markedhwith divisions, as a scale, theposition of the end of the sleeve, noted against `the divisions, willindicate the height of the handle.

As there areV persons of such conformation, that, in lifting, in themanner described in my aforesaid patents, they would, to prevent contactof the top bar ofthe stirrup a. with thebody, have to bend to an extentnot compatible with the best results, I make some of my handles with adownward curve in their centre,'from the parts grasped by the hands, inorder to compensate for disproportionateshortness in the arms of suchpersons.

rlhis peculiarity is one of my present improvements on the handlepatented to me as aforesaid, under the number.55,618, and is shown inthe detail marked A, as well as in fig. 1. Handles so made, however,have On the screw tis a nut, u, by turning which the weight to be inpairs, one right and one left, to effect the same object, which I get,where' the handle is not curved, by merely turning it.

Another improvement on my patented handle con'- sists in making alongitudinal depression along the middle of one side of each place wherevthe handle is grasped, so as to receive the ends of the iingers,whereby a firmer and better hold of the handle is obtained.

This improvement is shown in .the detail B, which is a cross-section ofthe part ofthe handle where grasped; also in g. 1, and indetails A andC.

In the detail C, which shows, both in plan and in elevation, one f mylifting-handles, it will he observed that, while the general outline ofthe hand-end approximates parallelograms, it is made somewhat convex,the handle being largest at the centre of the grasp.

Where the handles are grasped by the hands, they are covered withleather or buckskin, and in the different views showing handles, will beseen scores or grooves in which the edges of the coverings 'areconfined.

In ig'.1 it will'be4 seen that a spring is interposed between the topbar of the stirrnp a' and the handle. 'lhesprings referred to and'shown, with exception of spring o, which sustains the weight, aredesigned to yield to the force exerted by` the person lifting, so as t`oprevent jar or strain to' the system. Itis not designed' that al1 ofthesprings sh'own should be made use of in one machine, but rather toillustrate Where springs may be so applied, that one of them or a set ofthem will produce the desired action. For example, if the set of springsmarked d is'nsed, then the set m, and the spring with the handle, may bedispensed with.

The function of the balls h is to allow such a movement ofthe table,consequent upon the-position and movements of the person exerting astrain upon the weight, as will produce that relation of positionbetween the person andthe weight most favorable to the, production ofmaximum effects from any given exertion. To keep the handlev fromtipping or twisting'in the hands, it is pivoted on two centres, thelowerone being movable and forced up to itsV place in thesocket in thehandle by the action of a spring contained ill-screw b. The handle,while thus prevented fromftippingv or turn sasso ingover in the hand,can swing freely around, so as to accommodate the positionsof the bodyof the lifter.

The long sleeve-nut s, besides serving the purposes before mentioned,provides for shortening and length,-

ening the suspensory, according as the legs y are shortcned orlengthened by presence or absence ofthe pieces 7c.

l. claim-' I. In alifting-apparatus, the employment of levellingscrews,in the manner substantially'as described.

2. Also, in combination with the frame i, an upper frame or platform,supported above frame t' by the interposition of springs m, so thatwhen, in the act of lifting, the weight is taken frm frame i, the upperframe is depressed.

3. Also, the employment of spherical supports ina liftingapparatus, asdescribed. I

4., Also, the employment ofthe screw t and nut sin suspending theWeight, so that the position of the weight can be changed by turningsaid screw, without change in the position of the handle, and byshortening the length ofthe snspensory; v

5V. Also, supporting' the weight on the nut u, so that the positionofthe weight can be changed without either shortening the length ofthesnspensory or changing the position of the handle.

6. Also, the employment of the pieces k, in connection with the screwson the legs, for making the legs changeable in length at will. p

7. Also, connecting theweight with the handle, through the medium of thestirrup r, arranged to sm'- round spring 0. v

8. Also, the erpnploymentoi` a sleeve covering the nut c', and movingwith the screw b', so as to cover the screw and indicate the height ofthe handle, substantially irs-described. g l 9.' Also, a handle, madewith a downward bend in the part which joins the hand-grasps, for'thepurposel described.

10. Also, a handle, bearing in it depressions for the finger-ends, asdesoribe'd.- p

. D. l?. BUTLER, Witnesses:

J. B, CROSBY, FBANors GoULn.

